ZOE Kavanagh, Horse Sport Ireland board member and chief executive officer of the National Dairy Council, was the only rider to record a double on the dedicated national amateur eventing circuit between the inaugural running of The Clare on Saturday, July 8th, up to Crecora (2) on Sunday, July 23rd.

Kavanagh recorded the first of those wins at EI100 level at Ballindenisk (2) on July 16th and then at EI110 level at Crecora (2). In both instances she rode her father Dick McElligott’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Farrellys Tavern. The 10-year-old VDL Arkansas chesnut was bred in Co Leitrim by Cathal Farrelly out of the Classic Vision mare Farrellys Vision.

Because of her grade changes, Kavanagh didn’t feature at time of writing in the top five of either league and, on 18 points, was just outside the top 10 at EI110 level where Co Meath’s Denis Coakley led with Sugar Bunnie (62). He was followed by the Northern Region’s Denis Currie and Nichola Wray who were on 56 points apiece with Arodstown Aramis and Dylan (Springhill Showman) respectively.

Coakley and his well-related ISH mare, a 13-year-old Porsch full-sister to Sugar Brown Babe (CCI4*), only ran once in the period under review, finishing second to Kavanagh in the five-runner class at Crecora (2). Both were due to compete last Sunday at Frankfort as was Symone Brown with Merlot (who was fifth in the league on 46 points).

Win for Currie

One of those consulted by Declan and Becky Cullen when they decided to run an event at The Clare was Denis Currie who double-stamped his approval by winning the BM Horse EI110 (Amateur) at the inaugural event there on Saturday, July 8th.

Although he had a fence down show jumping that day and picked up 6.8 cross-country time penalties, Currie led throughout to record his third win of the season on board his well-known ISH gelding Arodstown Aramis, an 18-year-old bay by Shannondale Sarco St Ghyvan.

There was a good entry of seven at The Clare where Kim Constable placed second on Urneypark Big Cat, ahead of Wray on Dylan (Springhill Showman). Constable, sixth in the league on 44 points, has since competed twice outside the amateur ranks but Wray and her seven-year-old bay gelding by Lislap Benedict, who finished a creditable seventh of 29 in the CCI1*-Intro at Kilguilkey House, first won the two-runner EI110 (Amateur) at Tullymurry (1) and finished last of three in similar company a week later at Tullymurry (2).

The Turley and O’Connor families kindly agreed to run Tullymurry (2) to see if the ground at the scheduled venue of Glenpatrick would dry out if postponed a week. Unfortunately, the rain kept falling at that Co Antrim venue much to the disappointment of hosts Britt and Anne Megahey who put in a huge effort each year to have Glenpatrick looking so well.

Britt turned out to be doubly grateful that Tullymurry stepped into the breach on Saturday, July 22nd, as, having finished second of two there a week earlier, he won the three-runner EI110 (Amateur) at Tullymurry (2) on R Showman who he first competed in the 20-runner EI100 (Amateur) at Tyrella (3) in April.

An eight-year-old ISH gelding by Centre Stage, R Showman was bred out of the OBOS Quality 004 mare Boleybawn Saris by Claire Steele whose husband Jonny partnered him to success in CCI2*-L at Millstreet in August last year. At Tullymurry (2), Megahey claimed by honours by .1 of a penalty point from Denis Currie on Arodstown Tan. With the loss of events in the Northern Region, neither has competed since then.

There was mixed luck over the past few weeks for the usually consistent pairing of Noelle Reidy and Ballinhassig who, at time of writing, were lying fourth in the league on 54 points. Reidy and her 17-year-old black gelding won the three-runner EI110 (Amateur) at Hillcrest (3) on July 9th but were eliminated when falling at Crecora (2). Thankfully both horse and rider were perfectly fine after their spill.

Jade Mather, who finished second at Hillcrest on Billy Hi Ho, was the only one of three starters to finish at Ballindenisk (2) on Saturday, July 16th, when she and her traditionally-bred ISH gelding by Watervalley Cool Diamond competed on their dressage score.